Vehicle Identification Plate
The factory identification plate is located on the right side of the front upper cross member and contains the following information:
1 – body type;
2 – vehicle identification number;
- before 1981:
- 1st letter: place of manufacture – B (Great Britain), C (Ireland), G (Germany), W (Spain);
- 2nd letter: manufacturer – A (Dagenham Cologne), B (Halewood, Genk), C (Langley Sarrelouis), E (Cork), P (Valence);
- 3rd letter: model – A for Escort;
- 4th letter: body versions;
- 5th letter: year of manufacture;
- 6th letter: month of manufacture;
- 7th letter: serial number of the car:
- since 1981, a new 17-digit number has been used:
- 1-3 characters: international manufacturer identification code;
- 4th character: body type;
- 5-6 signs: constant signs;
- 7th character: country of manufacture;
- 8 character: manufacturer;
- 9–10 characters: model;
- 11-12 characters: year and month of manufacture;
- 13–17 characters: ordinal number;
3 – mass of the unladen vehicle;
4 – gross vehicle weight;
5 – maximum load on the front axle;
6 – maximum load on the rear axle;
7 – steering;
8 – engine;
9 – transmission;
10 – final drive ratio;
11 – equipment;
12 – body type:
- 1st letter: A for Escort;
- 2nd letter: A – 5-door sedan, B – 3-door sedan, V – van, W – station wagon;
- 3rd letter: year of manufacture;
- 4th–8th letters are free;
13 – version;
14 – body color;
15 – special code.
Designation of the year and month of manufacture of the vehicle
Year | Month | |||||||||||
I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | IX | X | XI | XII | |
| 1980 – A | B | R | A | G | C | K | D | E | L | Y | S | T |
| 1981 – B | J | U | M | P | B | R | A | G | C | K | D | E |
| 1982 – C | L | Y | S | T | J | U | M | P | B | R | A | G |
| 1983 – D | C | K | D | E | L | Y | S | T | J | U | M | P |
| 1984 – E | B | R | A | G | C | K | D | E | L | Y | S | T |
| 1985 – F | J | U | M | P | B | R | A | G | C | K | D | E |
| 1986 – G | L | Y | S | T | J | U | M | P | B | R | A | G |
| 1987 – H | C | K | D | E | L | Y | S | T | J | U | M | P |
| 1988 – J | B | R | A | G | C | K | D | E | L | Y | S | T |
| 1989 – K | J | U | M | P | B | R | A | G | C | K | D | E |
1990 – L | L | Y | S | T | J | U | M | P | B | R | A | G |